The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

MNEMONIC DEVICE: RESISTOR COLOR CODE

"BAD BOYS RAPE OUR YOUNG GIRLS, BUT VIRGINIA GIVES WILLINGLY"

Submitter comment: THE ABOVE MNEMONIC DEVICE IS USED TO AID REMEMBERING THE COLOR
CODING SYSTEM FOR AN ELECTRONIC COMPONENT KNOWN AS A RESISTOR.
THE DEVICE IS TOO SMALL TO BE STAMPED WITH ITS ELECTRICAL VALUE
IN NUMERICAL FORM, SO COLORED BANDS ARE PAINTED AROUND IT. EACH
COLOR REPRESENTS A DIFFERENT DIGIT. THE FIRST LETTER OF EACH WORD
IN THE MNEMONIC IS THE FIRST LETTER OF A COLOR. THUS "BAD" STANDS
FOR BLACK, WHICH STANDS FOR "OF" "BOYS" STANDS FOR BROWN, WHICH
STANDS FOR "1;" "RAPE" STANDS FOR RED, WHICH STANDS FOR "2," ETC.
THE OTHER COLORS ARE ORANGE, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, VIOLET, GRAY, AND
WHITE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; R.E.T.S. ELECTRONICS SCHOOL

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MNEMONIC DEVICE ; ELECTRICAL BEHAVIOR OF INDUCTORS AND CAPACITATORS

"ELI THE ICE MAN"

Submitter comment: THE ABOVE MNEMONIC DEVICE WAS DEVELOPED TO AID IN REMEMBERING THAT
VOLTAGE (MATHEMATICAL SYMBOL: E) LEADS THE CURRENT (I) THROUGH
AN INDUCTOR (L) AND THAT CURRENT (I) LEADS VOLTAGE THROUGH
A CAPACITATOR (C).

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; R.E.T.S. ELECTRONICS SCHOOL

Date learned: 00001963 CA

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